There are many who do not want – for several reasons – to discuss replacing Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s President come 2019.

Active APC and PDP supporters will soon face each other in yet another electoral re–run in my home state, Rivers. I have spoken to several Riverians – non-politicians – about this upcoming battle, which has been scheduled for December 10th; and they are all extremely worried because violence has marred previous polls and the widespread assumption is that violence will rear its ugly head again next weekend.

Many people – myself included – are still dazed by Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. Very few saw it coming; and A LOT of time is being invested – in America and globally – in analyses of the “shocking” result, as journalists, pundits, pollsters and non-professional observers of all nationalities try to make sense of it.

MY friend, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, is the Chief Press Secretary to Seriake Dickson, the Bayelsa State Governor. Daniel’s mother recently passed away and will be buried this weekend; and I want to share the moving tribute he sent me.

So Hillary Clinton, the Democrat, has lost to Donald Trump, the Republican; and my dream of seeing a highly accomplished female installed as President of the most powerful nation on earth is lying in tatters.

I RECENTLY saw a wonderful photograph that really cheered me up in a week that has been full of sadness and tears.

It depicted the 21 freed Chibok Girls dancing at a special thanksgiving service in Abuja. They were smiling joyfully and looked absolutely beautiful – vibrant young ladies with many years ahead of them – in their colourful new clothes.

Ken Saro-Wiwa Junior, the eldest son of the Ogoni author and activist whose 1995 execution sent shockwaves around the world, passed away, aged only 47, on Tuesday. And I am more devastated than mere words can ever express.

I’VE never met Mrs Aisha Buhari. Our paths did not cross when I was campaigning for her husband in 2014 and 2015. And I’ve never attended any function at which she has spoken and have only glimpsed her in the flesh once – from a great distance when the new President was being sworn in at Eagle Square last May 29 (she was in the glass VIP box, I was in an ordinary seat on the other side of the stadium).

Last week, on the eve of our 56th Independence Day “celebrations” (what is there to celebrate?!), I compared Nigeria’s lack of progress with the daily progress that takes place in other parts of the world – Europe, America and Japan, for example.

While we Nigerians are still struggling, in the 21st century, to provide ourselves with basic amenities like round-the-clock electricity and spectacularly failing to deal with simple challenges like running free and fair elections, other nations in Asia and the Western World are relentlessly moving onwards and upwards.

On September 8, 2016, at the launch of his “Change Begins With Me” initiative – a new public enlightenment campaign – President Buhari made a speech. unknown to Mr President, entire paragraphs in this important speech had been lifted by one of his aides from President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech.

Nigerians are famed for suffering and smiling. We’re also pretty good at laughing while we are suffering; and I’m sure that many of you would have heard the following absolutely hilarious jokes by now. But for those who haven’t, let me repeat them.

Last week on this page, I wrote a heartfelt tribute to my friend, Mr Babs Omotowa, the outgoing MD of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, which was established in

NLNG has also, under Omotowa, built and equipped engineering laboratories, costing $2 million apiece, in six universities – Ahmadu Bello, Ibadan, Uniport, Maiduguri, Ilorin and Nsukka). In other words, one in each geopolitical zone.

My dear sister and friend, Temi Harriman, a lawyer and politician, has just won a legal battle against a bunch of malicious men who decided, for reasons best known to themselves, to libel a lady who doesn’t deserve to be embarrassed.